Reviews

This book challenged me and left me perplexed at times. Understanding the nuances of race and the implications it has on the way individuals are viewed in society, I felt like this book was intended to annoy me while exposing ignorance to those who choose to ignore it. I highly recommend. I hate that these types of stories are necessary, but I appreciate their existence.

emilyhanson13's review against another edition

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dark emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

misslisa11's review

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challenging dark emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Book 60 of 2024: Erasure by Percival Everett

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thelonious "Monk" Ellison's writing career has bottomed out. His latest manuscript has been rejected by seventeen publishers. He seethes on the sidelines of the literary establishment as he watches the meteoric success of We's Lives in Da Ghetto, a first novel by a woman who once visited "some relatives in Harlem for a couple of days." Meanwhile, Monk struggles with real family tragedies―his aged mother is fast succumbing to Alzheimer's, and he still grapples with the reverberations of his father's suicide seven years before. In his rage and despair, Monk dashes off a novel meant to be an indictment of the bestseller. He doesn't intend for his book to be published, let alone taken seriously, but it is―under the pseudonym Stagg R. Leigh―and soon it becomes the Next Big Thing.

I’ve been meaning to read Percival Everett for a while and I’m so glad I finally did! This book was razor sharp. The satire of a Black author writing a story that is “Black” enough to cater to white peoples’ preconceived notions about what the Black experience is was delicious. I appreciated Monk’s character so much, he was complex and had so many different layers, which were demonstrated through his relationships with his family and colleagues. There was also a lot of family drama as the reader witnesses Monk navigate his mother’s illness, loss of his sister, and fractured relationship with his brother. This book was so smart and I loved Everett’s writing. Will definitely read more of his works on the future!

jessygrahn's review against another edition

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challenging funny informative reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Sowas habe ich noch nie gelesen
Allgemein waren es so viele genres dass ich etwas verwirrt war und die Bewertung mir auch schwer fällt. Ich hab das Buch gemocht, aber ich glaube hätte ich nicht von Anfang an gewusst um was es geht hätte ich während der pafology aufgehört.. es ging mir zu lang und ich fand es echt anstrengend zu lesen. Ich hätte mir auch gewünscht dass mehr auf die Kritik eingegangen wäre. Jede Szene bei dem er darauf einging:

ja weiße werden das toll im sommer finden

fand ich gut und ich wünschte es gäbe mehr davon. Dazu waren

die ausgedachten dialoge zwischen den künstlern und schriftstellern

wundervoll und die habe ich auch gebraucht um das Buch einigermaßen zu verstehen.

Kunstkritik und der allgemeine Begriff was Kunst überhaupt bedeutet, ob es was bedeuten muss und dass man es manchmal nur als kunst bezeichnet weil es viele nicht "verstehen" oder nicht mögen. Die Wahrnehmung des individuums vom Kunstbegriff mit der Einbindung rassistischer Voreinstellungen wurden dargelegt und gleichzeitig parodiert.

ich würde das Buch wenigen empfehlen, aber ich war die richtige Zielgruppe auch wenn mir seine "wahren" Texte etwas zu hoch waren fand ich sie super interessant und hätte auch gerne noch mehr davon gehabt.

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